Pages

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Graduation!

This happened almost a week ago, but it's been busy. First, let me say that Graduation at Miss M's school is very different. Nobody wears a cap or gown, guys generally don't wear ties and girls don't wear shoes. There is no valedictorian or salutatorian and any senior who wants to can participate - write and give a speach, read from a book or poem, sing a song, play an instrument, dance, etc. There are time limits on speeches and reading but no limit on the number of students who can participate. And creativity is not just allowed, it is encouraged.

This is the vase - it starts out empty. Each student brings a flower to put in the vase when they go to the stage to accept their diploma.

Miss M chose this lovely, different hydrangea. I bought the plant because I love it and so we get to keep a small remembrance of her graduation.

This is Miss M and a classmate getting ready to walk to the stage. They stop under the arch to be introduced - she and her classmate stepped through the arch and then set off poppers with streamers.

When they got to the stage, each pair of seniors took a selfie with the the teachers doing the name calling. Each year the students do something or give something to these faculty members. One year it was stickers on one and forks for the other. The students come up with it, coordinate it and do it.

(There are only 70 seniors graduating so this part of the ceremony doesn't take long - there were 21 students either reading, speaking or singing/playing and that part took a while.)

Then the two put their flowers in the vase - it creates the greatest bouquet.

Then, one at a time, they each walk over to the Head of School to get their diploma. Again, every year they do something else at this point. When Miss S graduated, they handed the Headmaster (a man who is now gone) a book for the library. The students hoped the books would get in the Headmaster's way but still wanted to leave a nice mark for the school. That Headmaster left at the end of the next year because the students weren't the only ones who disliked him.

Of course Miss M had to be different - she gave the Headmaster a Hat - which stayed on for most of the rest of the ceremony even though every other student was putting a lei over it.

These are the two shortest students in the class - they walked through the arch and then climbed ladders so they could be seen! Two other students, both known for their acting abilities, mimed a closed door halfway down the aisle.

This is the bouquet at the end of the ceremony - beautiful as a hole, but no two individuals exactly alike.

And the Headmaster gives the girl a hug. Notice the girl has changed out of her dress? That happened long before the ceremony was over. She was running the lights and sound and in charge of the tech crew so was up in a balcony where it was warm (well it was warm everywhere, but warmer there). She is back at school this week, not as a student but as an employee.